Permanent Changes in London Because of Olympics

How the Olympics Will Live On in London Long After the Games End

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With London footing a $15-billion price tag to host the Summer Olympics, citizens and visitors will be reaping the rewards from this expense long after the Olympics say its adieu in August. This is especially true if you love fitness, being active, or the word sports has a way of getting you excited. If London wasn't on your list of must-see cities in the near future, you may want to reconsider.

London is begging you to bike: Make no mistake, navigating around London during the games is going to be tricky, but city planners have been anticipating what could very well be a logistical nightmare even before they won the bid. If all goes as expected, people will be walking and biking their way to events as part of the Olympics Active Travel program: $50 million of new cycling and walking paths have been established in the last few years, as well as a new citywide bike-sharing program. Residents of London are already taking advantage of this new bike-friendly attitude; on major commuter roads, cyclists now outnumber cars.

It's not all falling down, my fair lady: While temporary structures are a mainstay of any Olympics, several of the buildings constructed for the games are permanent. Here's what active London residents and visitors can look forward to: a public aquatics center, miles of new running paths, a velodrome and BMX track, and a new indoor arena designated for community use, athlete training, and events. Existing sports locations like Weymouth and Portland and Wimbledon are being improved upon, leaving state-of-the-art facilities for future use.